Where Dawn Staley, South Carolina need to improve after two straight title game losses
South Carolina women's basketball set a school record for offense but that disappeared in the championship game. What the Gamecocks need to improve.
COLUMBIA — The memories of missing open shots will likely stick with South Carolina women's basketball for awhile. In the national championship against UCLA, the usually-efficient Gamecocks ' offense just couldn't score. It's potentially misleading however that the 79-51 loss was the final display of coach Dawn Staley's 2025-26 team.
The same group that shot 16. 7% in the first quarter in the title game finished with the best offense in program history, averaging 85. 6 points, which was fourth in nation.
The Gamecocks also averaged a program-best 46 points in the paint, 21. 4 points off turnovers and 19 fast-break points per game. South Carolina is also the only SEC women's basketball team to not lose a player to the transfer portal this year.
That roster retention is meaningful coming off what was statistically an impressive season. They finished fourth in the nation in field goal percentage (50%), sixth in FG% defense (34. 8%), third in winning percentage (90%) and fourth in scoring margin (27.
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